Judges 10: 6-16

Jephthah: A Man Without A Country * Judges 11: 1-3

The Gileadites Jephthah

Jephthah is living the “good life” with his mercenary buddies. Judges 11: 4-11 Jephthah is living the “good life” with his mercenary buddies. Elders of Gilead later seek his help to battle Ammon, offering him to be Commander and then Head of Gilead.

Jephthah attempts diplomatic solution Judges 11: 12-28 Jephthah attempts diplomatic solution to end the “land grab” cycle that Israel has had with the Edom, Moab, and Ammon. Jephthah cites Numbers 21 as to why Israel is rightful owner of the occupied land.

the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead Judges 11:29 “Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites.”

Judges 11: 30-31 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”

to dedicate something rashly and only later Proverbs 20:25 “It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows.”

and the Lord gave them into his hands. Judges 11: 32-33 32 Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands. 33 He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.

“When Jephthah returned to his home Judges 11:34 “When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her, he had neither son nor daughter.”

Judges 11:35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.”

Judges 11: 36-40 Jephthah’s daughter willingly accepts the consequences of the “The Vow.” She is given 2 months to mourn the loss of her future. She remains famous to Jewish women.

Judges 12: 1-7 Just like with Gideon, Ephraim expresses outrage over not being “invited” to the battle… but they push things too far. Jephthah orders the deaths of 42,000 Israelites in a battle of “tribal warfare.”

Forbidden and Detestable Genesis 22 (Abraham & Isaac) Human Sacrifices Were Forbidden and Detestable To God: Genesis 22 (Abraham & Isaac) Deuteronomy 12:31 & 18: 9-12 2 Kings 16:3; Psalm 106:38 Jeremiah 19: 4-5

The Meaning of “Jephthah” Jephthah opened his mouth and uttered “to open, to release, to break through; the one God set free” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jephthah opened his mouth and uttered a senseless and reckless vow, and didn’t trust that God would release him from it.